Often times, it’s because they feel like they’re supposed to. Everyone else has a blog--why not?

The equation often feels like this: Write blog posts...???????...Make $!

But here’s the problem.

In many cases, lots of time and money is being spent on writing/blogging efforts...but no one has taken the time to stop and ask WHY.

Namely: WHY are we writing this?

It’s scary that so many people aren’t asking this question.

It’s scarier that so many more don’t have a good answer when they do ask it.

Maybe you’re thinking, “Look, lady. I don’t always need a [air quotes] big picture strategy. Sometimes, you just go and do and figure it out along the way.”

I get it...I really do.

But writing without direction and purpose is a great way to waste a lot of resources. Like money. And time. And attention.

Trust me, I’ve done it.

I’ve written my fair share of personal blog posts that were just...pointless. I’ve been hired in the past by companies that are just like, “Meh...we’re winging things for now. Just do what you think is best.”

That’s cool and all (I appreciate the laid back attitude for sure.) But the business person inside me is Michael Scott screaming, “NO! NO! GOD PLEASE NO!”

Here’s why.

Without a reason/strategy/objective driving your writing, we, as humans, tend to get a little lost. And in a world where attention is already fleeting, it’s like spittin’ in the wind.

If you want your writing to do something (like drive sales, help your SEO/PPC efforts, or work together as part of a larger body of focused educational content) you need to map that out.

And you (or your writers) need to know what exactly it is you're trying to do, as well as how you'll measure success. Goals are really helpful here--even if they're just loose benchmarks.

I recently wrote about this over on Copyblogger (if you’d like some more in-depth reading on the topic), but the summary of what I’m trying to tell you today is this: Winging it, when it comes to writing...it rarely pays off.

If it's been a while since you/your team have thought about the WHY behind the writing, take some time to do that this week. It'll help you create more meaningful and effective content. I promise.

This article originally appeared in my newsletter, A Cup of Copy. Sign up and get these free tips sent right to your inbox every other Wednesday.